WEEK TIDBITS 11.12-11.18.12

WEEK TIDBITS 11.05-11.11.12

Photos taken from Instagram

WEEK TIDBITS 10.29 - 11.04.12

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WEEK TIDBITS 10.22-10.28.12

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WEEK TIDBITS 10.15-10.21.12

All photos taken via Instagram.

WEEK TIDBITS 10.08-14.12

Photos taken via Instagram.

WEEK TIDBITS 10.02 - 10.07.12

{Taken with Instagram}

WEEK TIDBITS

How my week rolled by via Instagram. :)

THE iPHONE 5: DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

Phone credit to Engadget

I don't consider myself an Apple fanatic. I don't rush to Telecom stores when a new Apple product has been made available. I use Apple products because it's familiar and they have tons of apps which I find beneficial to my lifestyle and preference and I was fortunate enough that my postpaid plan could provide me one - for free.

After the iPhone 5 release, I read a lot of criticisms, hateful posts all over the social media sites about the phone. I mean, come on. If you don't want it, don't buy one. You don't have to post hateful comments and quarrel almost everyone in the web just because they like the iPhone 5. 

Life is simple. If it doesn't justify the price, then look for another phone model. If Samsung S III is way much better, then choose Samsung. It's just that simple. No name callings (like social climbers, idiots, pathetic and etc.) required to those who wants the new iPhone. No profanities need to be expressed. NO ONE is holding you at gun point to buy the new iPhone. You have every right to shake your head and walk away. 

I'm no Techie expert. 

This post will not recommend you on what phone model to buy or which one is better because I'm no expert. Just  what I've said earlier, my choice of phone models depend solely on what I find beneficial to my lifestyle. That's it.

Will I get the iPhone 5? Maybe or maybe not. 

But rest assured, whatever phone model I choose, you will not hear me dissing other phone models. 

Different strokes for different folks.

Let me repost what I read on Scott Kelby's Facebook Page:

"Why do you feel you have to jump in and attack a product you don't use, and won't buy? Android-based phones are a perfectly fine choice --- you don't have to defend your choice whenever someone mentions the iPhone 5 or any iPhone for that matter. It simply doesn't affect you. You have a phone you already like, so good news --- you're going to save a bunch of money by staying with what you've already got. You should be happy --- not angry and bitter. This should be a day of great jubilation --- your choice of smartphone has been vindicated --- Apple is all wrong again, and you're smarter than everyone else. Rejoice and stop and the hating."


Full post here:

https://www.facebook.com/SKelby


P.S. This post is not intended to attack anyone in particular. At end of the day, I just got sick and tired of people debating over a phone in the internet. 

TERA ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY SACK BAGS

My Yoga Instructor offered me this bag and what really caught my eye was the lovely print. Little did I know this bag has more to offer.


What makes this bag special?


These environment-friendly sacks bags absorb several times more CO2 from the atmosphere than trees.


• Made from a unique vegetable fiber spun into thread, it is then crafted into a beautifully designed bag.


• There is abundant availability of this material which makes it a renewable and sustainable resource.


• When discarded, sack bags totally decompose, putting valuable nutrients back into the soil.


• Environmentally friendly, it does not produce toxic gases or harmful gas by-products.


I was totally in awe with this bag that i ended up buying two.


What's not to love? You get to tote a beautifully crafted bag while contributing to a healthy environment.

My "London" Bag

Ate Anin's UK Flag Tote Bag

WANDERLUST STRIKES

 Keepsakes from Bangkok, Thailand

Keepsakes from Chennai (Madras) India

Yab made a promised to me once that he will never leave me behind for more than a week. If he has to go somewhere longer than that, he will take me wherever it may be.

When his job required him to be in India for almost a month, he asked me to come with him this time around. I refused to leave our son, Hael behind so he obliged to take him along too.

In one month, I've been in two countries; two different cultures and lifestyle. I couldn't thank him enough for being so thoughtful enough to let me experience this.

It was a very challenging month for me considering I had a toddler with me all the time. The only prayer I had was that he may never get sick abroad and God answered my prayers.

I was grateful that even when we were under the scorching heat when we go out every weekend, I never heard a single complaint from my toddler. He was too fascinated with all the  new things he saw. He slept during plane rides and never had any jetlag. He even learned to say, "Thank You" in Tamil (Chennai dialect).

So, if someone asks me if I'll do it again, I will in a heartbeat. This time around, I'll be wiser to bring more cartons of formula milk.

GETUP FOR THE DAY 04.02.12

Off to a dinner somewhere with the family on a weekday. :D


Stripes Cardigan and Royal Blue Shorts bought from Bangkok
Ash Gray Tank Top from Forever 21
Flats from Parisian
Statement Neckpiece from Bangkok
Bangle from India

GETUP FOR THE DAY

My getup when Yab asked me to accompany him to a dinner get-together with his friend. 


Mustard Yellow Top and Royal Blue Palazzo Pants from Bangkok, Jeweled Thong Sandals from Charles & Keith, statement necklace from Bangkok, Bangle bought from India, cocktail ring bought from a bazaar

FEBRUARY 2012 BOOKS

A collection of the books I've read for the month of February.

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Read: Feb. 01 - Feb. 05, 2010

Rating: A+

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Jennifer E. Smith

Read: Feb. 05, - Feb. 12, 2012

Rating: A

Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

Read: Feb. 10 - 12, 2012

Rating: A+

JANUARY 2012 BOOKS

A collection of the books I've read for the month of January.

1Q84

Haruki Murakami

Read: Nov. 22, 2011 - Jan. 29, 2012

Rating: A

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Read: Jan 29, 2012 - Feb. 01, 2010

Rating: A+

101 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR TODDLER

I saw this in one of the posts in Pinterest. This is such a great reference most especially when there are times I am totally lost on what activities to do with Hael.


Credits to: http://counting-on-me.blogspot.com/2011/05/101-things-to-do-with-your-toddler.html

1. Color
2. Blow Bubbles
3. Play Hide-and-Seek
4. Peek-a-Boo
5. Play Chase
6. Do Finger-plays
7. Sing a song
8. Collect rocks in a basket
9. Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
10. Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
11. Go for a Walk
12. Make a Car out of a Box
13. Read a book
14. Go to the park
15. Finger-paint
16. Play with Play-Dough
17. Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
18. Play the shell and pea game
19. Dance to music
20. Download games for toddlers from the Internet
21. Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
22. Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
23. Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
24. Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
25. Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
26. Put on a puppet show
27. Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
28. Make a Horseshoe game
29. Make a Shape Puzzle
30. Play paper basketball
31. Run through a Sprinkler
32. Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
33. Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
34. Play with a kazoo
35. Wash windows together
36. Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
37. Brush each other's teeth
38. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
39. Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
40. Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
41. Make a playhouse out of a large box
42. Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
43. Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
44. Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
45. Go on a Smelling Hunt
46. Frost Cookies
47. Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
48. Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
49. Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
50. Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
51. Have a splash party together in the bathtub
52. Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
53. Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
54. Make and try on paper hats
55. Give a piggy-back ride
56. Play "Horsey"
57. Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
58. Play tug-of-war with a blanket
59. Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
60. Make a camera and go on a Safari
61. Play games with frozen juice lids
62. Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
63. Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
64. String large beads onto or along a shoelace
65. Squirt each other with squirt bottles
66. Glue shapes onto paper
67. Make sock puppets
68. Make paper puppets
69. Fill an old purse with toys
70. Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
71. Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
72. Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
73. Act out a story from a book
74. Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
75. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
76. Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
77. Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
78. Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
79. Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
80. Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
81. Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
82. Do the Hokey Pokey
83. Make a super-hero costume out of household items
84. Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
85. Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
86. Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
87. Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
88. Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
89. Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
90. Learn numbers from a deck of cards
91. Play the matching game with a deck of cards
92. Make a domino chain
93. Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
94. Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
95. Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
96. Make a nature collage
97. Mirror each other
98. Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
99. Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
100. Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
101. TAKE A NAP!

MOMMY CAI CHECKS OUT: MANILA HOTEL (A REVIEW)

If there's one thing I love most about Manila Hotel is that the Filipino hospitality and warm welcome can be easily felt and seen upon entering their doors.

A welcome fruit basket for their guests...

Upon our arrival in Manila Hotel last Dec. 30, 2011, we were welcomed immediately by a valet service which they surprisingly offer for free. 

The room was lovely...

View of the Intramuros

King Size bed

I love how they spoil their guests with lots of pillows. Most hotels would only equip you with a maximum of four. Pillow fights can be really fun in this room. :D

The room was spacious, comfortable and the amenities were impressive.

Ipod Dock

Waterproof LCD TV in the bathroom

The bathroom was also spacious. They have a separate walk-in for the shower and bathtub. Just like Sofitel, they also use L'Occitane for their toiletries, which is a favorite brand of mine. ;)

I love how comfortable the place is. Since you can't keep my kids off their laptops and iPods, the free wifi connection was a plus factor for our 3-day stay.

They don't have a pool as huge as Sofitel but this didn't hinder us to try it out. Too bad, the water's icy cold.  :(

It literally took minutes before they dived in. It was really that cold!!!!

Nonetheless, this was truly one of the best stays we ever had as a family and we truly can't wait til we go back to Manila hotel.

WEEKEND SHARE: NEW YEAR'S EVE/DAY AT MANILA HOTEL

We were all surprised when Yab asked me to book at any hotel for our New Year's Eve. I initially went to Sofitel's website but unfortunately, they were already fully booked on that day. After some discussion, we decided to have our reservations at Manila Hotel and figured we could watch the New Year's Eve countdown at the Mall of Asia. 


We arrived at the hotel on Friday, Dec. 30. Hael was sick a day before that and I was concerned that he might not enjoy our stay throughout the weekend. I was wrong.

We officially broke our tradition of spending New Year's Eve at home and it was a good thing. I could definitely see the kids having a grand time. 

It was a perfect weekend for me, too.  A weekend free from the worries of meal planning. :D

My Getup: Ladybug print sleeveless dress from Zara, Braided Belt from H & M

On the night of Dec. 31st, we headed to the Mall of Asia for dinner and spent the New Year's Eve there as well.

My New Year's Getup: Light Gray Sleeveless Top Tank from Forever21, Long Knitted Cardigan from Forever21, Neckpiece from Love Diva, White Eyelet Shorts from PICC Bazaar

We headed to TGI Friday's for dinner...

Seafood Platter

Baby Back Ribs

Chicken Tenders

Right after dinner, we decided to head out to the parking lot as opposed to the restos and the park across since it was packed with lots of people. 

And by 12am....

CHRISTMAS EVE 12.24.11

Just like every year, we spent our Christmas Eve and Christmas day at home. This time around, we decided to make the our Noche Buena food prepartion simpler. I decided to bake a Lasagna (Anin's favorite), bought some garlic toast from French Baker, placed the Ham in the oven and bought a classic moist chocolate cake from Conti's.

It was quiet a sober Christmas Eve but we managed to keep it lively even if there were only five of us at home. 

Ate Anin obviously wants to have a taste of that Lasagna

Hael speaking to Mommy Astwing, wishing her a Merry Christmas.

Facetime with my sister, Auie on Christmas Eve

Facetime with the girls too. :D

Sorry, we can't help it.

There, much better.

My everything.

And of course, my Yab.

Christmas Getup: Top by Forever21, Denim Shorts by No Boundaries, Neckpiece from PICC Bazaar